Vegetarian Stuffed Eggplants

I saw a huge pile of the most beautiful looking Lebanese eggplants at my local grocer yesterday and immediately wanted to bake them in the oven. So I grabbed a few other ingredients that I thought would compliment them well (keeping in mind what I also had in the cupboard) and came up with this recipe!

This dish looks so colourful and impressive on the table, smells divine and is a great source of protein, fibre and antioxidants whilst being low in carbohydrates and fat.

I kept this recipe free of breadcrumbs, which is a common topping for stuffed vegetables. I find the almond meal works beautifully instead; it gives the top a nice crunch and is actually much tastier (and more nutritious). Mushrooms and zucchinis also work really well in place of the eggplants if they are more available to you!

Ingredients:

• 3 lebanese eggplants (or 3 small regular eggplants)
• 1 small leek, finely sliced
• 1 heaped tablespoon capers, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 heaped teaspoon grated lemon rind
• olive oil
• 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped (stalks and leaves separated)
• 250g ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• sea salt and cracked black pepper 
• 3 heaped tablespoons almond meal
• 2 good handfuls of grated parmesan
• sweet Hungarian paprika
• Basic Napolitana sauce*

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 190°C and lightly oil a large baking tray.
2. Saute the leek and parsley stalks in a frypan on medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. 
3. Add garlic, capers and lemon rind and saute lightly until fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. In a medium sized bowl, beat ricotta and egg together well. Add leek mix and some of the chopped parsley leaves and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
5. Combine almond meal and parmesan cheese together in another bowl.
6. Halve eggplants lengthways and scoop out flesh and seeds from the middle, leaving at least 1.5cm around the edges (don't scoop out too much flesh, the hollow only needs to be shallow).
7. Fill each hollow with the ricotta mix.
8. Top each with the almond and parmesan mix, sprinkle with a pinch of paprika and place on the oiled baking tray.
9. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until tender, bubbling and golden. 
10. Heat Napolitana sauce and spread into a large serving dish. Place each eggplant half on top of the sauce and sprinkle with remaining chopped parsley leaves.
11. Serve immediately with a fresh green salad and enjoy!

*I make my basic Napolitana sauce by sautéing 2 cloves of garlic with a handful of chopped fresh (or a tablespoon of dried) Italian herbs (such as oregano, parsley, marjoram, basil) and a bottle of passata (or a can of diced tomatoes). It's meant to be easy and made with what's on hand. You can jazz it up with a diced onion, celery and fresh tomatoes, then blitz it into a smooth sauce if you have time, but I find the basic one does the trick!

Coconut Pancakes

This recipe is the result of a bit of kitchen experimentation, with a few failures along the way! I'm pretty happy with the results, as were my keen 'guinea pig' housemates!

These are gluten free, dairy free (if you wish), grain free (good for those following the paleo diet), high in protein and light and fluffy yet super filling. They are also super easy and quick to prepare, so make a great lazy weekend breakfast. If you have kids, get them to help with the mixing and plopping the batter into the frypan!

This recipe makes enough for three to four people, as it is suprisingly filling.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2 teaspoons coconut palm sugar (or raw honey)
• Pinch of sea salt
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 large mashed banana
• 3 free range eggs
• 1/2 cup milk (this can be dairy, soy, almond or rice)
• Organic cold pressed coconut oil (for frying)

To serve:

• Pitted sour cherries
• Coyo
• Handful of raw almonds, roughly chopped

Method:

1. Toast almonds in a frypan on medium heat. Move frequently, so as not to burn. When lightly browned and fragrant, remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, lemon rind, cinnamon, salt and sugar together in a large bowl (if using honey use in next step).
3. In another bowl, beat the eggs well with a fork. Beat in mashed banana, milk and honey (if using). Add to flour mix and stir well until combined.
4. Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a large frypan on medium/high heat. When hot, add heaped tablespoonfuls of the batter, ensuring the oil sufficiently surrounds each (this gives the pancakes a lovely crisp texture and ensures they don't burn before they are cooked).
5. Fry until bubbles form and they lose their glossy sheen (don't flip early - they tend to take a little longer than normal pancakes). Flip and cook through.
6. Add extra oil between batches as they tend to soak some whilst cooking.
7. Serve pancakes in a stack topped with a dollop of coconut yoghurt, a spoonful or two of pitted sour cherries and a sprinkle of the toasted almonds.

Enjoy! xT